Which OCS Program is right for me?

[josephd]

Hey thanks a lot Joe, i'll definitely take a look at those through the coming days. Thanks again.

No worries, that's what I'm here for....and that is what the NCOs and SNCOs in your charge are there for....to run your platoon/shop and make you look good as a Lt. to the Company, Battalion, Regiment, etc..Just be sure to recognize them and award them accordingly.

[DAVIDB1220]

Of course, i believe the NCOs are an important asset to any unit. I would take the time to learn from them as much as i can from them, because i know they're experts in their fields. They deserve rewards for their accomplishments and i'd definitely consider them for awards.

[josephd]

Of course, i believe the NCOs are an important asset to any unit. I would take the time to learn from them as much as i can from them, because i know they're experts in their fields. They deserve rewards for their accomplishments and i'd definitely consider them for awards.

not really what I meant by "awards" but as long as you're thinking that direction...

[DAVIDB1220]

whoops, well what do you mean by awards then? this way i can understand better

[Rocky C]

Thanks Rocky! It really is a great community and i'm glad to have to so many mentors and advisers on my path to becoming a Marine Officer. It's truly what makes this website a great resource of information. Thanks for dropping into my thread btw

Your welcome my friend and thank you for your kind words. I try and run a Great Forum here along with my Squad Leaders.

I am so thankful that so many contribute. There are some very knowledgeable members here. " It takes a village ".

[DAVIDB1220]

It's great honestly, you and your squad leaders are do. This website has given so much advice. I cant wait to use it further on, even after i become a Marine. That's the beauty of this site and the Marine Corps. There's always a brother or a sister to be there for you when you need answers.

[josephd]

I have to correct myself too...I said "rewards" not "awards" in my post, you turned that "awards"

What I meant by that is, despite what you and many other may think, most Marines could care less about an award..all that is, is a piece of paper and possibly a ribbon/medal on their chest...this doesn't give them anything but a small warm and fuzzy feeling for a few minutes after

I said "reward" them..pull them aside, sincerely thank them, shake their hand, get them into other training(eg. MCMAP, follow on MOS training, special duties, put them in charge if they aren't already a billet holder, etc). Your Marines, NCOs, and SNCOs can and will make or break your career.

I have 2 NAMs(Navy Achievement Medals), the handshake and the thank you I got offline/behind the scenes/away from everyone else from the Colonel and my CO that awarded me each time meant more to me than the award itself

[DAVIDB1220]

i see what you re getting at sir, and yes that is what i believe makes a great leader. My OSO and I were talking about that. Pulling your enlisted marines to the side and thanking them, even buying them a beer lol. But i understand what you're saying sir. Congrats on those Navy Achievement Medals btw.

[josephd]

Oh and take care of them!!...while your job may be to follow orders from whoever is over you and accomplish the mission, with that comes the responsibility to shield your Marines from some of the political BS that will come there way

I had a Plt Cmdr that stood up for us(my Platoon), our Co. Cmdr wanted an all hands formation for some sort of incident that happened while we were gone outside the wire on mission...he got reprimanded for it but he told the CoCmdr that his Marines would not be coming seeing as we had just rolled back onto base that late night before and we were not even around when this incident happened

just an example

[DAVIDB1220]

Wow, that's very courageous of him. But i'm sure he gained a lot of respect from you guys. The one thing i've learned especially talking to other Marines and on here, is that marines don't respect the officer from where they came from or what they do. They respect them by the way they lead and how they care for there men.

[djj34]

I've found one key is treating the Marines with respect, giving them room (don't micromanage) and treating them like normal people, not like children. Another way is to find the balance between being firm but being approachable. Don't be an ass because your authority allows you to be one. There's no need for that to get results. I have limited room to complain but I've been treated like a child by a captain for months on end and I hated it. The experience was valuable, though, because I learned how I would never be as an officer. Didn't hurt to be raised by an E-6 who got out to be a cop

[DAVIDB1220]

very interesting look at it from that point of view. The one thing i do want to accomplish when i commission is i want to take care of my men and be open to them at all times. I want them to know that they can come to me at anytime if they need someone there to help them out. I don't believe in micromanaging,like you said it doesn't get any results.Its good to be assertive but neither over assertive or under assertive. There has to be a balance

[USMC 2571]

When I was a PFC at U.S. Naval Communications Training Center, Pensacola, Florida, our CO was a Captain. He was killed in Vietnam in 1967 but this was in 1964.

There was an enlisted club, and within that was a separate bar, called Over 21, for obvious reasons. I was 17. I poked my head in and tried to get the bartender's attention so I could buy a bag of potato chips without entering the bar itself.

I waited patiently. Our CO Captain noticed me outside the crowded bar and hollered "What are you DRINKING, Marine?" Everyone else, all sailors, looked at me. I answered "Sir, I'm only 17". His loud reply was "I don't give a damn HOW old you are, you're old enough to be in my outfit, you're old enough to have a beer. Bartender, give that Marine a Budweiser!"

This is why Captain James Westley Ayers of Moncks Corner, South Carolina, KIA October 1967 Vietnam, was such an extremely highly respected officer.

[DAVIDB1220]

That's so bad ass lol. honestly i'm going to respect my enlisted, because really all in all were brothers of Marines. No matter what rank you are, you're a Marine first and foremost and i believe that's a great way of respecting my enlisted.

[Rocky C]

That was a great post Dave.